What is the primary goal of reconstruction? Reunification, punishment, civil rights, other? (Thesis) Time has come realize that the hopes of the Founding Fathers were in vain: that toxic slavery does not dissolve not its own accord, and rather spreads, weaving itself deeply into the threads of the American fabric. From the past civil war and in the impending reconstruction, it should be noted that our Southern brethren cannot surrender their slavery sentiments at gunpoint. Freedom cannot be bought with blood, nor can it be protected by rights. It is only logical that we turn to an alternative solution.
Altering a culture has proven impossible through means of force, nor can the issue be compromised away in treaties. Former slaves also cannot be expected to rise from their ranks of servitude in a society that still stands largely on their backs. Instead, we can focus on deconstructing southern ideology, and suffocating white supremacy at its roots through means of total economic reconstruction. By “northernizing” the southern reform; with emphasis on urban civilization, infrastructure, education, and capitalism; we create an environment in which the ways of the past simply cannot survive.
As a second step to our plan of Southern reform, we’ve taken a page out of the books of history and implemented tactics used by the abominable fascist regimes and Orwellian societies - propaganda and reeducation. We can observe from these that one of the easiest ways into a culture is through the minds of the youth. Following urbanization, public schools will salute to equality and integration in an effort to accelerate the process of overturning the culture.
What should be done to the ex-Confederates? “With malice towards none,” all ex-Confederates shall be forgiven of all crimes and treason they may be accused of with no punishment affecting the survival and comfort of those persons. A minor consequence that all ex-Confederates must face however is an application process and a sworn oath of loyalty to the Union that will grant them the right to vote or if one wishes to hold any government office in the future whether it be local or national or anything in between. This policy does not apply to all ex-Confederates. Those who served a position of high office or authority in the former Confederate States of America may no longer serve any government position in the United States of America.
What should be done for the freedmen? We believe freedmen deserve civil rights, however to preserve peace between them and the racist white population in the South and throughout, we cannot grant those rights immediately. Racism and violence is inevitable, and there’s really no way to prevent it completely, however we can do our best to minimize it. The first step to getting the freedmen back on their feet would be the Freedmen’s Bureau intending to provide food, shelter, and medical aid, along with education and legal assistance. This Freedmen’s Bureau will not only provide assistance to freedmen, but also any Southerner, white or black, in need. In addition to the Freedmen’s Bureau will be the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, granting citizenship to all freedmen and those born in the United States from this point forward and protecting all citizens from State deprivation “of life, liberty, or property.” The common segregation in daily life (i.e. schools, public transportation, etc.) will remain in place to minimize harm towards blacks simply by separating them from the white southerners who would be the ones harming them, and to appease white southerners who would be enraged at the thought of common daily life with black people.
Who should be able to vote and hold office in the new Southern state governments? Denying large groups the right to vote will prove counterproductive in our efforts to integrate and urbanize the South. For one, people who feel that their opinions are silenced are not compelled to live in bustling civilization, and instead isolate themselves. Then comes the issue of black voters, who will play a critical role in the support of reconstruction. Stripping blacks of their voting rights may save a few lives from the hands of the KKK, but puts support for Republican reconstruction at high risk of stalemate, a chance we cannot take (we know that in the decade following the civil war, a voting majority of the country was Democratic). Office will be opened to all Southerners, after an application and sworn oath process, save for a small group of ex-Confederate military leaders and government officials, who are potential figures of alternate authority standing in the path of union and growth. A Northern law enforcement group will be employed to override any Southern government ruling deemed unconstitutional or illegal by congress.
What requirements must be met before states regain full rights and representation? Seceded states may only be allowed back into the Union once they knowingly fulfill a set of requirements. These requirements include: proven allegiance to the Union by acceptance and practice of the 13th and 14th amendments, and the proven stability and sustainability without Northern intervention. Only then may a Southern territory be granted acceptance back into the Union. States must prove allegiance before receiving rights in order to prevent such things as the case of Black Codes, which may take away the freedoms and rights we are fighting so hard to protect. Once a territory proves to be more Nothernized and less inclined to try and take back their ideals which were disputed in the war, it may be granted statehood. Statehood is to remain intact when a state commits an act of betrayal, however said state will lose representation in congress until dubbed “loyal” by federal government. Such crimes would include violation of the constitutional amendments, organized insurrection against blacks, or government officials, or state secession.
How should the Southern economy be restored? The Southern economy will be revitalized through a series of government policies that stimulate the growth of big industry, public education, and urban living. Simply giving money to the South to reassemble old infrastructure would be adequate for rebuilding, but is more or less a bandage being used to cover up the gaping hole in the South’s industrialized economy. Our administration advocates the relocation of Northern entrepreneurs, businessmen, and investors to the South by granting tax deductibles, where they will find a far less competitive demand and eager labor forces of freed blacks or displaced southerners. Big business will construct facilities, build transportation, and then draw labor masses that form the saplings of soon-to-become cities, essentially mimicking the recent industrial revolution. The Union Pacific Railroad, for example, could be paid off by federal government to divert its efforts to more profitable railroad advancements in the South, rather than stringing small towns across the American heartland.
Education will play a crucial role in the nursing of a diversified economy. While mandating public education in the south might be difficult, we can use the leverage of industry to integrate education into a worklife. Businessmen are always looking for ways to make more money, so as done before, encouragements will be made to help prompt the coming of public schooling in the South.
What role should Union troops play in policing, governing, or rebuilding the South? After 4 long years of war, all those who partook in the war, soldiers from both from the Union and Confederacy, were extremely exhausted and likely had their hearts set on returning home to their families to live a normal life again. This desire will be granted to them in the freedom to choose the means by which they live their “normal life.” Union troops should not be obligated nor expected to partake in any civic responsibilities unless they so desire. Any job or responsibility they may choose to take on will advance the means of Reconstruction in one way or another, since all government and national efforts are being directed to this cause.
Re-state the primary goal of reconstruction. (Thesis re-stated) The South will benefit from government policy, directing efforts towards stimulating southern economy and urbanizing an isolated population. Concentrated populations, being inherently Socratic in their exchange of ideas, will slowly suffocate the white supremist tendencies of Southern culture and result in a society much like that of the North: integrated, educated, and civil. Bad blood and conflict are inevitable, the same goes for any matter involving changes of this magnitude, and are but a small price to pay in our own generation for the freedom from prejudice and hatred in ones to come.
Response to "Opposition" Group
Our reconstruction policy has, up until this point, been idyllic in description, and it is only right that we address the pitfalls of Southern economic reform. The first is resistance. Though our focus is not the direct combat for equality, we recognize that Southern insurrection is inevitable, and that people will feel threatened by their way of life being overrun. We then face the issue of time. The process briefly detailed in above paragraphs takes decades to run its course, leaving our flank exposed if reconstruction falls into the hands of an opposing party.
Conversing with Mr. Geib today revealed a plethora of counterarguments against the fundamentals of the Abe's Babes plan. Let us discuss them.
Relying on the benevolence of money-minded businessmen for Southern restoration is treacherous.
Corrupt and fickle as they were, economic giants were essential to the process of advancing America's capitalist face. They built railroads, got people jobs, brought cities together, and created value - all things that federal government had little, if any ability to do by itself. Just as Hamilton's entailed in his Report on Manufactures, the government can benefit greatly from aligning its interests (through subsidies) with industry.
The South is economically unprofitable.
Yes. The South remains largely rural, agrarian, and tattered by war, but that's just status quo.
What is the primary goal of reconstruction? Reunification, punishment, civil rights, other? (Thesis)
Time has come realize that the hopes of the Founding Fathers were in vain: that toxic slavery does not dissolve not its own accord, and rather spreads, weaving itself deeply into the threads of the American fabric. From the past civil war and in the impending reconstruction, it should be noted that our Southern brethren cannot surrender their slavery sentiments at gunpoint. Freedom cannot be bought with blood, nor can it be protected by rights. It is only logical that we turn to an alternative solution.
Altering a culture has proven impossible through means of force, nor can the issue be compromised away in treaties. Former slaves also cannot be expected to rise from their ranks of servitude in a society that still stands largely on their backs. Instead, we can focus on deconstructing southern ideology, and suffocating white supremacy at its roots through means of total economic reconstruction. By “northernizing” the southern reform; with emphasis on urban civilization, infrastructure, education, and capitalism; we create an environment in which the ways of the past simply cannot survive.
As a second step to our plan of Southern reform, we’ve taken a page out of the books of history and implemented tactics used by the abominable fascist regimes and Orwellian societies - propaganda and reeducation. We can observe from these that one of the easiest ways into a culture is through the minds of the youth. Following urbanization, public schools will salute to equality and integration in an effort to accelerate the process of overturning the culture.
What should be done to the ex-Confederates?
“With malice towards none,” all ex-Confederates shall be forgiven of all crimes and treason they may be accused of with no punishment affecting the survival and comfort of those persons. A minor consequence that all ex-Confederates must face however is an application process and a sworn oath of loyalty to the Union that will grant them the right to vote or if one wishes to hold any government office in the future whether it be local or national or anything in between. This policy does not apply to all ex-Confederates. Those who served a position of high office or authority in the former Confederate States of America may no longer serve any government position in the United States of America.
What should be done for the freedmen?
We believe freedmen deserve civil rights, however to preserve peace between them and the racist white population in the South and throughout, we cannot grant those rights immediately. Racism and violence is inevitable, and there’s really no way to prevent it completely, however we can do our best to minimize it. The first step to getting the freedmen back on their feet would be the Freedmen’s Bureau intending to provide food, shelter, and medical aid, along with education and legal assistance. This Freedmen’s Bureau will not only provide assistance to freedmen, but also any Southerner, white or black, in need. In addition to the Freedmen’s Bureau will be the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, granting citizenship to all freedmen and those born in the United States from this point forward and protecting all citizens from State deprivation “of life, liberty, or property.” The common segregation in daily life (i.e. schools, public transportation, etc.) will remain in place to minimize harm towards blacks simply by separating them from the white southerners who would be the ones harming them, and to appease white southerners who would be enraged at the thought of common daily life with black people.
Who should be able to vote and hold office in the new Southern state governments?
Denying large groups the right to vote will prove counterproductive in our efforts to integrate and urbanize the South. For one, people who feel that their opinions are silenced are not compelled to live in bustling civilization, and instead isolate themselves. Then comes the issue of black voters, who will play a critical role in the support of reconstruction. Stripping blacks of their voting rights may save a few lives from the hands of the KKK, but puts support for Republican reconstruction at high risk of stalemate, a chance we cannot take (we know that in the decade following the civil war, a voting majority of the country was Democratic). Office will be opened to all Southerners, after an application and sworn oath process, save for a small group of ex-Confederate military leaders and government officials, who are potential figures of alternate authority standing in the path of union and growth. A Northern law enforcement group will be employed to override any Southern government ruling deemed unconstitutional or illegal by congress.
What requirements must be met before states regain full rights and representation?
Seceded states may only be allowed back into the Union once they knowingly fulfill a set of requirements. These requirements include: proven allegiance to the Union by acceptance and practice of the 13th and 14th amendments, and the proven stability and sustainability without Northern intervention. Only then may a Southern territory be granted acceptance back into the Union. States must prove allegiance before receiving rights in order to prevent such things as the case of Black Codes, which may take away the freedoms and rights we are fighting so hard to protect. Once a territory proves to be more Nothernized and less inclined to try and take back their ideals which were disputed in the war, it may be granted statehood. Statehood is to remain intact when a state commits an act of betrayal, however said state will lose representation in congress until dubbed “loyal” by federal government. Such crimes would include violation of the constitutional amendments, organized insurrection against blacks, or government officials, or state secession.
How should the Southern economy be restored?
The Southern economy will be revitalized through a series of government policies that stimulate the growth of big industry, public education, and urban living. Simply giving money to the South to reassemble old infrastructure would be adequate for rebuilding, but is more or less a bandage being used to cover up the gaping hole in the South’s industrialized economy. Our administration advocates the relocation of Northern entrepreneurs, businessmen, and investors to the South by granting tax deductibles, where they will find a far less competitive demand and eager labor forces of freed blacks or displaced southerners. Big business will construct facilities, build transportation, and then draw labor masses that form the saplings of soon-to-become cities, essentially mimicking the recent industrial revolution. The Union Pacific Railroad, for example, could be paid off by federal government to divert its efforts to more profitable railroad advancements in the South, rather than stringing small towns across the American heartland.
Education will play a crucial role in the nursing of a diversified economy. While mandating public education in the south might be difficult, we can use the leverage of industry to integrate education into a worklife. Businessmen are always looking for ways to make more money, so as done before, encouragements will be made to help prompt the coming of public schooling in the South.
What role should Union troops play in policing, governing, or rebuilding the South?
After 4 long years of war, all those who partook in the war, soldiers from both from the Union and Confederacy, were extremely exhausted and likely had their hearts set on returning home to their families to live a normal life again. This desire will be granted to them in the freedom to choose the means by which they live their “normal life.” Union troops should not be obligated nor expected to partake in any civic responsibilities unless they so desire. Any job or responsibility they may choose to take on will advance the means of Reconstruction in one way or another, since all government and national efforts are being directed to this cause.
Re-state the primary goal of reconstruction. (Thesis re-stated)
The South will benefit from government policy, directing efforts towards stimulating southern economy and urbanizing an isolated population. Concentrated populations, being inherently Socratic in their exchange of ideas, will slowly suffocate the white supremist tendencies of Southern culture and result in a society much like that of the North: integrated, educated, and civil. Bad blood and conflict are inevitable, the same goes for any matter involving changes of this magnitude, and are but a small price to pay in our own generation for the freedom from prejudice and hatred in ones to come.
Response to "Opposition" Group
Our reconstruction policy has, up until this point, been idyllic in description, and it is only right that we address the pitfalls of Southern economic reform. The first is resistance. Though our focus is not the direct combat for equality, we recognize that Southern insurrection is inevitable, and that people will feel threatened by their way of life being overrun. We then face the issue of time. The process briefly detailed in above paragraphs takes decades to run its course, leaving our flank exposed if reconstruction falls into the hands of an opposing party.Conversing with Mr. Geib today revealed a plethora of counterarguments against the fundamentals of the Abe's Babes plan. Let us discuss them.